The policy recommendations of the IDB’s 2016 Macro Report Time to Act include deepening regional trade integration, a long-sought but still largely elusive goal. A casual observer may wonder why that goal matters. Even though the Free Trade Area of the Americas process failed to produce an agreement, Latin America and the Caribbean have fared well until relatively recently and … [Read more...] about Trade and Regional Integration: What We Don’t Have To Worry About
Macroeconomics and Finance
Climate Change and its Indoor Impacts
The shriveled crops and bleached bones of livestock across large areas of South America following recent droughts may be just the beginning. By mid-century climate change is likely to boost temperatures by 2 degrees centigrade or more. Droughts and downpours are likely to become more intense and frequent; floods and storms, more destructive. As discussed in a recent report by … [Read more...] about Climate Change and its Indoor Impacts
When Emergency Spending is Impossible
Would you be able to come up with the equivalent of US$400 in an emergency? Many people can’t. A recent survey by the United States Federal Reserve Board reveals that 47% of people in the United States can’t come up with that $400 without selling something or borrowing. That means they may be unable to fix their car or visit a hospital emergency room. They may struggle to pay … [Read more...] about When Emergency Spending is Impossible
A New Tool to Help Boost Incomes
Colombian Finance Minister Mauricio Cardenas once posed a question in an international meeting that has resounded as among the most significant for government planners. A finance minister has limited resources and a narrow window of reform. In which sectors will reform pay off most in terms of increasing per capita incomes? As countries in Latin America and the Caribbean—and … [Read more...] about A New Tool to Help Boost Incomes
Happy Days Are Not Here Again
The region’s oil exporters are enjoying a mild reprieve from devastatingly low prices. For now. While the price uptick may have several causes, the most dramatic contributing factor is the Fort McMurray fire in the Canadian province of Alberta. The wildfire covers an area larger than some of the world’s major cities, and officials have estimated it will take weeks or even … [Read more...] about Happy Days Are Not Here Again